The present invention relates to stop devices for accurately positioning bar, rod or strip stock upon which machine operations (such as cut off, drilling, bending, etc.) are to be performed. Stop devices known include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,331 (Saveliev, et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,958 (Munson), U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,100 (Fehlberg), U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,065 (Kolodgy, et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 2,618,046 (Mansell), U.S. Pat. No. 2,395,562 (Mansell), U.S. Pat. No. 1,969,503 (Eksergian), and U S. Pat. No. 1,946,926 (Barton).
Precise and reproducible positioning is of primary importance in stop devices. Reliability, speed and ease of operation as well as the versatility to accomplish a repeating, pre-set cycle of positions or an individual positioning are desirable features of such a device.